i5-3570K to i7-3770K Should I Upgrade 2018? 2160p@60FPS / 1440p@144FPS Gaming

[Ransome]

Hello,
I have recently humored the idea of upgrading my reliable i5-3570K which served me well for years since Aug 2012.
I checked Ebay for used i7-3770K bids.
They sell from 170-190$+.
One CPU I was bidding at (up to 150$) sold at 183$ !
I think that's A LOT - especially considering I live in Israel and I have to add approximately
+70$~ for Shipping + Import Charges (about 35$ each).

Now regarding my own i5-3570K. I'll admit I kinda regretted not buying the I7-3770K back in the day (it was mostly in the back of my head) ever since that day, every now and then.

I recently managed to Overclock my CPU from a 4.2 GHz with auto voltage and default settings -> to 4.4 GHz with fixed Core Voltage of 1.230, and everything else at default (LLC auto).

I think I might be able to OC to 4.5 GHz at something like 1.290~ Vcore +LLC ??? but it's been hotter and harder (tried that for hours yesterday without success).


To sum up:
Is it worth that high price as well as the extra work?
(removing my huge Noctua NH-D14 cooler, re-applying thermal paste and assembling everything back. As well as Overclocking and tweaking and testing...).
I researched about it in other threads online about it from 2016, 2017 and early 2018 - and the most common short answer was: NO.
Also examined YouTube benchmarks but they were all showing 1080p only- gap was roughly 5-15~ FPS.

I use this PC for high end GAMING and gaming only.
I play my games on a 4K TV: 2160p 4K@60FPS
But also play some games on a 2K 1440p Gsync 144Hz PC monitor.

Thank you.

Side question: Should I bother overclocking to 4.5GHz instead? What voltages and LLC doo you suggest trying? Or should I stick to my more stable, cooler 4.4GHz? (it's not been thoroughly tested in games yet).

 

[Ransome]

I was really pleased recently when I launched Dark Souls 3 for the first time and was able to achieve rock solid 3840x2160 at 60 FPS with MAX settings in the starting area (up until after first boss). Seems my CPU doesn't bottleneck this particular game at all at 4K - since the CPU usage was 40-50%~ only!

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Gaming at higher resolutions moves the bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU. You don't need the worlds best gaming CPU to run 4k.

I agree, $190 seems like too much for a 3770k. I would not move to the 3770 unless you got a used one for a really good deal.

If I were you, I would hold on to your current CPU and consider looking at something later this year if you have the money. The 8600k is a very good CPU and wont cost much more than the 3770k. Hopefully RAM prices will drop and it will be more economical.

Additionally, adding 100mhz to your clock speeds may only get you a couple more fps. I think I would be happy with the 4.4ghz and not to put more money or time for just 100mhz. But that is me.

 

[Ransome]

Thank you for your response.
What do you guys think would be a good price for a used I7-3770K?
What kind of indication can I have that the CPU is in good condition, and what to look out for?

There was one CPU I was following today that was in great condition and sold for only 158$.

Will also appreciate more opinions - whether or not replacing my i5-3570K is worth the risk/gamble, money and work?
Thank you.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

You are not going to be able to tell the condition of a CPU by it's looks. There is always a risk buying used parts, particularly unlocked CPUs as you don't know what kind of temperatures it was exposed too.